For decades, the gold standard in primary trainers has been the Cessna 150/152 series, pictured above. How does the new crop compare?

By Rick Durden

When pilots argue which general aviation trainer is best there are usually one or two more opinions on the subject than there are speakers. If someone asks what trainer those present flew, the almost unanimous answer is the Cessna 150 or its step-brother, the 152. But it has been more than 20 years since the last 152 flew away from the assembly line in Winfield, Kan., and since then, companies seeking to build two-place trainers have had a difficult time of it. One notable exception is Diamond Aircraft with its steady-selling DA20-C1, formerly known as the Katana, now called the Evolution or Eclipse (for the better equipped model). …